We are big fans of coding for kids here at STEAMsational. Coding lessons for kids teach a variety of useful skills, like logic, critical thinking, order of operations, and of course, whatever coding language they are using. With Valentines Day coding activities for kids, even the kids most reluctant to try coding will soon learn that coding can be a lot of fun!
To bring kids into the world of coding, I like to make it fun, hands-on where possible, and also bring in a seasonal element. That’s why these Valentines day coding activities for kids are so much fun!
This February, we’re all about Valentine’s Day coding, both off-screen and on-screen!
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14 Fantastic Valentines Day Coding Activities for Kids
Keep reading to view all of the Valentine coding activity ideas I’ve collected that are perfect for Valentine’s Day! You’ll also find a few traditional coding resources so your students can apply their off-screen knowledge in a real coding environment.
Keep reading to learn about the importance of coding and how to introduce coding to kids from preschool through middle school. This makes a wonderful addition to any other Valentines STEM activities you may be doing in your classroom.
Why Do Kids Need to Learn How to Code?
While Valentines Day coding activities for kids may seem like a strange thing to teach to children as young as three, there are valuable skills that students learn when coding outside of the coding language itself.
Computational thinking helps children learn to think logically and calmly, which can be applied in a number of settings, and teach children the best way to approach a problem using a step-by-step problem-solving model.
When kids learn to code, they also learn:
- Problems can have multiple solutions. Experimenting and playing with solutions to problems that may have multiple solutions
- Working with others is often beneficial to discover the best solution.
- Usually, it takes multiple tries before a solution is found.
- How to identify errors and fix them one at a time.
- How to find creative solutions to open-ended questions.
- How to identify personal strengths and weaknesses.
Students who learn how to code from a young age have increased capacity to interact with and make logical connections with computers. And why not make it even more fun with Valentines Day coding activities for kids!
Teaching Resources for Valentine’s Day
Here are some fun STEM teaching resources for Valentine’s Day that you can use in the classroom.
Browse the entire category of Valentine’s Day classroom supplies here or grab some of my Valentine’s Day favorites from the list below.
Exploding Candy Lab Science Kit
Chemistreats Classroom Candy Science Kits
Lollipop Lab Candy Science Kit
Valentine Building Block Bears
LEGO Friends Flower and Chocolate Kit
LEGO Pop up Valentine Card with Swans
Valentine’s Day will be so much fun in the classroom this year!
How Computer Coding Works
Before starting any sort of Valentine’s Day coding lesson, it’s important to show kids how coding works.
We like using this peanut butter sandwich lesson as a logic example.
Basically, in this activity, you act exactly like a robot and only do exactly what the kids say.
This helps children establish a framework for how to think logically when completing coding activities.
Instruct children that programming is all about logical thinking and creating a plan before jumping in.
In coding, this is done with the use of sequences, selections, and loops, which are the three basic programming structures.
Coder Bunnyz – The Most Comprehensive STEM Coding Board Game Ever! Learn All The Concepts You Ever Need in Computer Programming in a Fun Adventure. Featured at TIME, NBC, Sony, Google, Maker Faires!
Osmo – Creative Starter Kit for iPad – Ages 5-10 – Creative Drawing & Problem Solving/Early Physics – STEM – (Osmo Base Included)Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set, 83 Pieces, Ages 4+ThinkFun Roller Coaster Challenge STEM Toy and Building Game for Boys and Girls Age 6 and Up – TOTY Game of the Year FinalistThinkFun Code Master Programming Logic Game and STEM Toy – Teaches Programming Skills Through Fun GameplayThinkFun Rush Hour Traffic Jam Brain Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 8 and Up – Tons of Fun With Over 20 Awards Won, International Bestseller for Over 20 YearsElenco Teach Tech “Mech-5”, Programmable Mechanical Robot Coding Kit, STEM Building Toy for Kids 10+ThinkFun Robot Turtles STEM Toy and Coding Board Game for Preschoolers – Made Famous on Kickstarter, Teaches Programming Principles to PreschoolersThames & Kosmos Kids First Coding & Robotics | No App Needed | Grades K-2 | Intro to Sequences, Loops, Functions, Conditions, Events, Algorithms, Variables | Parents’ Choice Gold Award WinnerLearning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse, Coding STEM Toy, 31 Piece Coding Set, Ages 4+Learning Resources Coding Critters Ranger & Zip, Toy of the Year Award Winner, Interactive STEM Coding Toy, Early Coding Toy for Kids, 22 Piece Set, Ages 4+ThinkFun Potato Pirates Coding Card Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 7 and Up – A Fun Card Game of Potato WarFisher-Price Think & Learn Code-a-pillar Twist
Sequences assist children in recognizing patterns. Sequences, along with selections and loops, are one of the three basic structures in programming.
In a sequence, one action leads to the next in a predetermined order or pattern. Selections and loops help keep the sequences organized and streamlined to complete the task using the most efficient method.
Keeping these principles in mind will make coding activities for kids easier.
Valentine Science Books and More!
These fun Valentine’s Day Books for kids will teach kids about the science around Valentine’s Day, the history of the holiday, and a whole lot more!
The Calendar Kids Meet February Book
In My Heart a Book of Feelings
I Love You Around the World Valentine Coloring Book
Candy Bites the Science of Sweets
Celebrate Valentine’s Day Holidays Around the World
Build Valentine’s Day Fun with LEGO
How to Set Up the Valentines Day Coding Activities for kids
There are two main ways to set up a coding activity, which will also apply to your Valentines Day coding activities for kids.
Option 1 is to play a coding game on a tablet or computer.
Option 2 is to do screen-free coding activities, or unplugged coding activities, as they are sometimes called.
Since coding is more than just learning a coding language, keeping it off-screen helps children focus on what’s actually important about coding—the process, not the solution.
That’s what makes these Valentines Day coding activities for kids so much fun!
Classroom-Friendly Valentine Shirts
I love wearing fun Valentine-themed shirts in the classroom during February. Here are a few of my favorite Valentine Shirts for Teachers.
Be Kind Valentine Teacher Shirt
I Love You Sign Language Teacher Shirt
Kindness Teacher Valentines Day Shirt
Wood Heart Earrings for Valentine’s Day
Teaching Sweethearts Valentine’s Day Teacher Shirt
My Class is Full of Sweethearts Teacher Valentine’s Day Shirt
Tie Dye Heart Shirt for Teachers
Love All Day Every Day Teacher Valentine’s Day Shirt
Painted Heart Valentine’s Day Shirt for Teachers
Heart Fractions Math Teacher Valentine’s Day Shirt
Penguin Heart Teacher Earrings
Valentine Alphabet Teacher Shirt
Heart Envelope Valentine Earrings
ASL Sign Language Love Valentine ASL Teacher Shirt
All We Need is Love Globe Shirt
Valentine Elements Chemistry Teacher Shirt
Valentine SPED Teacher Inclusion Valentine’s Day Teaching Shirt
Teaching Valentine Conversation Hearts Shirt for Valentine’s Day
This Teacher Loves Her Students Valentine’s Day Shirt
Valentine Dinosaur Love Valentine’s Day Shirt for Teachers
Wearing a fun shirt, decorating the classroom with red and pink decorations, and doing other fun Valentine’s Day activities will make Valentine’s Day about more than just cardboard Valentines and candy.
More Valentine Activities for the Classroom
If you need ideas for other subjects aside from Valentine’s Day coding and STEM labs, then you’ll want to check out these other fun Valentine’s Day activities for kids.
- 50+ Valentines STEM Activities
- Creative Valentine Engineering Challenges
- 14 Creative Valentines Day Slime Recipes
- Valentine’s Day Math Activities
- Printable STEM Valentines for Kids
Keep scrolling to find the list my favorite screen-free Valentines Day coding activities for kids.
The Ultimate List of Valentines Day Coding Activities for Kids
Kids who love coding will fall in love with these Valentine’s Day coding games and activities.
Check out the ideas below and click on each button to be taken to the activity with full directions, printables, worksheets, and lesson plans for each activity.
14 Valentine's Day Coding Activities for Kids
Whether you're looking for screen-free coding activities OR computer-based coding activities we've got you covered! This list of Valentines Day coding activities for kids covers coding activities for kids from age 3-15!
Make your own Valentine coding bracelets and pass on secret messages of love and friendship in binary!
If you have a coding caterpillar, have it go along and capture the hearts in this fun Valentine coding activity for younger kids that answers the question, "What is caterpillar coding?"
There are tons of apps that teach coding to kids, and many of them offer seasonal challenges. Download your favorite coding app from this list and look for Valentine coding challenges!
Students follow the instructions to uncover a Valentine's Day maze design and must use computer coding to solve the maze.
In this very cute Valentine's Day exercise for kids of all ages, decode secret Valentine messages!
This Valentine code game is ideal for children of all ages, especially preschoolers and elementary school-aged children.
In this Valentine's Day coding worksheet for kids, find the correct sequence to assist Cupid make his journey around town spreading love and joy!
This Valentine's Day, Tynker has something for everyone! Kids can use jokes and art to create their own virtual valentine.
These coding charms would make the perfect gift on Valentine's Day or a fun take-home coding challenge at your Valentine's Day party.
These coding critters are so cute! Cuteness abounds with these coding animals which makes them perfect to try out during the cutesrt season of the year.
Learn to code in binary with these Valentine themed binary coding challenges.
Learn how to code with a love flair in these minecraft coding challenges for Valentine's Day.
This Valentines Code Breaking printable is full of smart Valentine's puns that will keep codebreakers smiling.
In this very cute Valentine's Day exercise for kids of all ages, decode secret Valentine messages!
Valentine Classroom Decorations
Add some Valentine’s Day festivities and flair to your classroom with these classroom decorations for Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day Door Decorating Kit
Tissue Paper Classroom Valentine’s Door Decorations
Valentine’s Day Classroom Window Clings
Valentine Letters Classroom Door Decorations
Valentine’s Day Classroom Decorating Kit
Our Class is Sweet Cupcake Valentine’s Day Classroom Decorating Kit
Our Love for Learning Grows and Grows Classroom Decorations
A Class Full of Sweethearts Classroom Decorations for Valentine’s Day